Leica Geosystems Inc. today announced The Atlantic Group, LLC, of Huntsville, Ala., has purchased a new Leica ALS70-HP airborne laser scanner. Following integration, calibration and testing in mid-January aboard the firm’s Partenavia P68,Cessna 210, and Piper Navajo aircraft, The Atlantic Group plans to deploy the ALS-70 LiDAR primarily for a variety of projects in support of floodplain mapping, environmental assessment, natural resource inventories, utility inventories and other applications.

“Our goal at The Atlantic Group is to be aggressive in embracing new technologies,” said Brian Mayfield, The Atlantic Group’s Executive Vice President. “We believe the Leica ALS70-HP will allow us to serve existing markets efficiently and economically, and it will also facilitate our entry into some new markets.”

The Atlantic Group is a technology-driven remote sensing, surveying and consulting business. With four aircraftfleet, the firm provides a full-range of multispectral image acquisition, and LiDAR mapping services supported on the ground by end-to-end geospatial information extraction, surveying and consulting capabilities. On its LiDAR projects, the company works extensively for federal, state and local government agencies as well as many private firms covering very large geographic areas.

“We chose the ALS70 for its overall flexibility,” said Mayfield. “The ALS70-HP allows us to fly higher while also achieving greater data density, consistency and accuracy.”

The Leica ALS70 is an affordable airborne laser scanner with a 500 kHz pulse rate capability designed specifically for high-density point collection in diverse environments. The Leica ALS70-HP version was developed for general purpose mapping over a wide variety of terrain at different flying altitudes. The power of the ALS70 enables LiDAR missions to collect a higher density of elevation points without flying more lines, saving time and money.

“LiDAR elevation mapping is one of the most rapidly changing sectors of the geospatial market,” said Jean Gardiner, General Manager of Leica Geospatial Solutions. “We designed the ALS70 for companies like The Atlantic Group that are committed to meeting their clients’ needs now and in the future.”

In addition to airborne laser scanning services, The Atlantic Group is highly competitive in the airborne imaging space. The centerpiece of its aerial imaging services is the Z/I Imaging DMC (Digital Mapping Camera) sensor, originally developed by Intergraph Corp. and now a part of the Leica Geosystems’ product line under Hexagon Corp. This was a compelling factor in the firm’s decision to purchase its new LiDAR system from Leica.

“Leica has integrated the mission planning software for its imaging cameras and LiDAR sensors, making the workflows very similar, which we saw as a big plus,” said Mayfield. “Additionally, many of our business partners use Leica sensors…and we’ve heard great things about Leica customer service, training and maintenance programs.”

With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.

Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 3,500 employees in 28 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.